Former head for barbed wire manufacturing machine



June 15, 1954 SOMMERVILLE FORMER HEAD FOR BARBED WIRE MANUFACTURING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. \VAN L. SOMMEQVILLE BY June 15, 1954 SOMMERVILLE 2,681,084

FORMER HEAD FOR BARBED WIRE MANUFACTURING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "IO G sq V n as a"! 82, 3;

' INVENTOR. 15

n. L,, SOMMEDNILLE. w BY Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE FORMER HEAD FOR BARBED WIRE MANUFACTURING MACHINE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to former heads for barbed wire machines and more particularly to a former head in which the wrapping pin or pins are easy to replace and are freed from the function of rotationally driving the former barrel.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved former head for a barbed wire manufacturing machine which head can be installed in an existing machine with no modification of the machine construction to operate in the well known manner to wrap barb forming wire lengths around a main wire strand at locations spaced apart along the main wire; which includes a minimum number of simplified parts for performing the wire wrapping operation; which is constructed to drive the former barrel from the former gear independently of the barb forming pins so that the pins are not subjected to barrel driving forces and can be formed of a hard steel alloy to resist rapid wear; which includes means which firmly supports the wrapping pins and which is readily accessible for replacement of worn or broken pins when necessary; which can be used to form either two point or four point barbs, as may be desired; and whichis simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install and service, and efficient and effective in operation.

Other objects and advantages'will become apparent from a consideration of the following de-' scription and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a top plan view ofa barbed wire manufacturing machine including a forming head illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a former head illustrative of the invention;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional View on the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawings, the barbed wire machine includes a top frame, generally indicated at 10, supported on abottom frame, generally indicated at! I, within which the spooling mechanism of the machine is disposed. The barb forming mechanism is disposed above and mounted on the top frame In and includes a drive shaft 42 journaled in the top frame and carrying a chain sprocket I3 which is driven by a drive chain Hi from the power-operated spooling mechanism of the machine. A gear shaft is journaled 0n the top frame by the spaced apart bearing structures 16 and ll in spaced apart and parallel relationship to the drive shaft 12 and carries, intermediate its length, a main spur gear 33. The drive shaft l2 carries a spur gear it which meshes with the main gear is to drive the main gear and the gear shaft 55 and the feeding meansfor the barb forming wire.

A bearing bracket 29 is mounted on'the top frame If! adjacent the side of the main gear l8 remote from the gear l9 and a barb forming head, generally indicated at 2!, is journaled in the bearing bracket 20 and driven by the main gear It in a manner to be later described in detail.

A main wire strand, as indicated. at 22, extends through the head 25 and through awire feeding mechanism, generally indicated at 23 and driven from the drive shaft [2, to the spooling mechanism disposed below the top frame ill and, at the end of the machine remote from the feeding mechanism 23, the main wire strand 22 is carried under a guide roller 24 and through suitable tensioning means so that it extends in a straight condition from the guide roller 24 to the feeding mechanism 23 through the barb forming head 2!.

The machine forms barbs on the main wire strand 22 at locations spaced apart along this main wire and is capable of forming either four point barbs or two point barbs, as may be desired. Assuming that the machine is set to form four point barbs, strands 25 and 25 of barb forming wire are led in from the respectively opposite sides of the machine-to the main wire strand 22 and have their ends disposed one above and one below the main wire strand adjacent the rear end of the forming head 21.

The cross strand 25 extends through a wire feeding mechanism, generally indicated at 28, which is periodically operated in timed relationship to the rotation of the gear shaft is by a link 30 pivotally connected at one end to a crank 31 connected at its other end to the wire feeding mechanism28, the link 30 beingconnected at its end remote from the crank 3! to a crank 32 mounted on a shaft 33 journaled in the top frame it! of the machine and driven at the same speed as the gear shaft 15.

The cross strand 26 extends through a wire feed mechanism, generally indicated at 35, actuated by a link 36 connected at one end to a crank 31 mounted on the adjacent end of the gear shaft 55, the link 36 being connected at its other end to a crank 38 connected to the wire feed mechanism .35.

The wire feed mechanisms 28 and 35 are simultaneously operated at periodic intervals in timed relationship to the main wire feed means 23 so that the cross strands 25 and 26 are advanced to extend their ends adjacent the main wire across the main wire a distance sufficient to form a four point barb each time the main wire is advanced a predetermined amount through the main wire feed 23. The forming head 21 is operated in timed relationship to the operation of the Wire feeding means 28 and 35 to wrap the portions of the cross strands advanced across the main wire into barbs immediately after the cross strands have been advanced, to provide the barbforming Wire and to then release the wire wrapped about the main strand to form the barb.

Wire shearing means for cutting 01? the cross strands immediately after the barb has been formed is located at the rear end of the forming head 2! and includes a pair of stationary shear elements 56 and ll located at respectively opposite sides of the rear end of the forming head, and a movable shear element 42 disposed between the stationary shear elements rearwardly of the forming head and mounted on a lever 33 pivoted on a fulcrum hearing it and engaging a cam :15 on the gear shaft l and moved relative to the stationary shear elements to shear the cross strands 25 and 25 immediately after the barb is formed on the main Wire strand by the forming head.

As barbed wire manufacturing machines of the character indicated are old and well known to the art, a further illustration and description of the machine is considered unnecessary for the purposes of the present disclosure. details as to the construction and operation of the machine are desired, reference may be had to Patent Number 519,683, patented May 8, 1894, by I. A. Kilmer for Wire Barbin Machine and to various subsequent improvement patents in this art.

lhe forming head 2! of the present invention includes a substantially cylindrical, tubular gear 56 having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough and having a spur gear formation 5| intermediate its length with cylindrical bearing formations 52 and 53 disposed one at each side of the gear formation 5!. The tubular gear is provided with oil holes 54 and 55 in the bearing formations 52 and 53 respectively and with an internal screw thread formation 58 in the bore thereof at one end of the gear. An end closure plug 58 has an external screw thread formation 59 threaded into the screw thread formation 55 of the gear 56 so that the end plug closes the corresponding end of the gear and this end plug is provided at one end with an outwardly extending annular flange 6-6 which overlies the adjacent end of the gear 59. A recess 61 extends into the plug 58 from the inner end of the plug and this recess is of non-circular cross sectional shape, extending diametrically of the cylindrical plug 58 and having spaced apart and substantially parallel side surfaces, as indicated at 62 and 53 in Figure 5, equally spaced from and parallel to a diameter of the plug. The plug is provided with a centrally located aperture 6% through which the main Wire strand 22 extends and is provided with wrapping pin receiving holes 65 and 66 disposed at respectively opposite sides of the central aperture 64 and equally spaced from this central aperture.

A tubular barrel 68 is slidably mounted in the gear 50 and has a coaxial bore 69 reduced at one end to provide a restricted passag for the If further main wire strand, this restricted passage registering at the end of the barrel 68 to which it opens with the central aperture 6 in the end closure plug 58.

At its end in which the restricted passage It is provided, the barrel 68 is reduced to provide an extension ll having flat sides substantially parallel to and equally spaced from a diameter of the cross sectional area of the barrel which extension fit closely into the recess 61 provided in the closure plug 58 threaded into the gear 50. With this arrangement, the closure plug 58 provides a driving connection between th gear 56 and the barrel 68 through the extension H of the barrel so that the barrel is rotated with the gear.

The barrel 68 is provided with wrapping pin receiving holes 12 and 13 disposed at respectively opposite sides of the wire passage iii and registering respectively with the pin receiving apertures 55 and 66 in the plug 58.

A wrapping pin 14 of elongated, cylindrical shape, is pressed at one end into the pin receiving hole '12 in the barrel 6B and projects from the end of the barrel adjacent the plug 58 through the pin receiving aperture 65 in the plug and a similar wrapping pin 15 is pressed at one end into the hole it in the barrel and projects from the corresponding end of the barrel through the pin receiving aperture 66' in the closure plug.

When the barrel extension H is fully seated in the recess 6! in the closure plug, as illustrated in Figure 4, the pins project beyond the outer end surface of the closure plug a distance suflicient to engag the ends of the cross strands and 2t crossing the main wire 22 one above and one below the main wire so that, upon rotation of the gear 50, the end plug 58 and the barrel 6%, the wrapping pins are revolved around the main wire to wrap the cross strands around the main Wire to form the barb. As soon as the barb is formed the pins are retracted inwardly of the gear so that their outer ends are disposed flush with or slightly inwardly of the outer end surfac of the plug 58 by means presently to be described, so that they completely release the wire from which the barb is formed immediately after the barb has been wrapped on the main wire strand. The extent to which the pins project outwardly of the outer end surface of the plug 58 is less than the length of the barrel extension H and the depth of the recess 6! so that the extension H will remain engaged in the recess BI in the plug 58 when the pins are fully retracted.

As the pins M and 15 are not subjected to any driving force between the gear and the barrel 68 and are entirely free in the apertures and 65, these pins may be formed of a specially hard steel alloy, which may hav considerable brittleness along With high wear resistance characteristics so that the pins will not be broken, and will wear for an extended period of time.

If the pins should become worn or broken, access to the pin-receiving end of the barrel 58 for replacement of the pins can be readily obtained by merely threading the closure plug 58 out of the corresponding end of the gear 593, the closure plug being provided in its outer end surface with recesses 11 and 18 providing spaced apart and substantially parallel flats engageable by a wrench for turning the plug relative to the gear.

The gear 50 is journaled by its bearing formations 52 and 53 in the bearing bracket 20 9 t at t s r fOlm ition 5| thereof is in mesh with the gear l8 on the gear shaft 15, the forming headthus being continuously driven while the machine is in operation. Aface cam is mountedon the shaft it at the side of the gear l9 remote from the rear end of the forming head and arocking yoke 8! is pivotally mounted on the main frame for rocking movement about an axis disposed below and substantially at-right angles to the rotationalaxis of the-forming head 2|. A cam following roller 82 is journaled on the yoke 8| and bears against the face of the cam 80 and a spring 83 is connected-between the other ends of the yoke and the top frame if: of the machine and resiliently maintains the cam follower 82 in engagement with the face of the gear 80.

The barrel '68 of the forming head projects outwardly-of the end of the gear 553 remote from the end plug '53 and this outwardly projecting portion of the barrel is provided with spaced apart, annular bead or collar formations 85 and 86 providing between them an external annular groove 81. The yoke 8! is provided with a notch receiving the portion of the barrel 68 between the collar formations 85 and 86 and with suitable abutment means engaging the inner sides of these collar formations to move the barrel 58 longitudinally of the gear 56 when the yoke 8! is rocked by the cam 80. The cam has a flat annular surface disposed substantially in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft I5 extending partly therearound and has a lobe formation which engages the cam follower 82 immediately after the ends of the cross strands 25 and 26 have been wrapped on the main wire strand 22 to form a barb, to retract the wrapping pins 14 and 15 out of engagement with the wire of the barb which has just been formed. ihe lobe on the cam 8i) holds the wrapping pins retracted while the cross strands 25 and 26 are being advanced across the main wire strand 22 to provide material for a new barb and projects the cam only for the period necessary to wrap the ends of the cross strands around the main wire strand to form the barb.

If it is desired to form two point barbs instead of four point barbs, it is necessary only to omit one of the cross strands 25 or 26 and to omit the corresponding wrapping pin from the forrning head 2|, the forming head then wrapping the single cross strand about the main wire strand to form two point barbs at spaced apart locations along the main strand.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A former head assembly for a barbed wire manufacturing machine comprising a tubular former gear having a spur gear formation intermediate its length, cylindrical bearing formations disposed one at each side of said gear formation and internal screw threads at one end thereof, a closure plug threaded into said one end of said gear and having a recess of noncircular cross sectional shape in the inner end thereof, a centrally disposed main wire aperture extendin from said recess to theouter end surfacethereof and at least one Wrappingpinreceiving apertureextending from said recess to the'outer end surface thereof at a location spaced from said centrally disposed aperture, a tubular barrel slidably disposed in said gear and having on one end a formation of non-circular cross sectional shape received inthe recess in said closure plug so that said closure plug constitutes a driving connection-betweensaid gear and said barrel, said barrel having a coaxial bore restricted at one end thereof and registering with the centrally disposed aperture in said plu and extending at its other-end out of the adjacent end of said gear. and having at least one hole extending longitudinally thereof from the bore therein to said'one end thereof and registering with said wrapping pin receiving aperture insaid closure plug, a wrapping pin secured-at one end in the hole in said-barrel and extending through the wrapping pin receiving aperture in said plug, and a collar formation on the portion of said barrel projecting out of said gear for engagement by a machine element to impart longitudinal movement to said barrel relative to said gear.

2. A former head assembly for a barbed wire manufacturing machine comprising a tubular former gear having a spur gear formation intermediate its length, cylindrical bearing formations disposed one at each side of said gear formation and internal screw threads at one end thereof, a closure plug threaded into said one end of said gear and having a recess of noncircular cross sectional shape in the inner end thereof, a centrally disposed main wire aperture extending from said recess to the outer end surface thereof and at least one wrapping pin receiving aperture extending from said recess to the outer end surface thereof at a location spaced from said centrally disposed aperture, a tubular barrel slidably disposed in said gear and having on one end a formation of non-circular cross sectional shape received in the recess in said closure plug so that said closure plug constitutes a driving connection between said gear and said barrel, said barrel having a coaxial bore restricted at said one end thereof and registering with the centrally disposed aperture in said plug and extending at its other end out of the a jacent end of said gear and having at least one hole extending longitudinally thereof from the bore therein to said one end thereof and registering with said wrapping pin receiving aperture in said closure plug, a Wrapping pin secured at one end in the hole in said barrel and extending through the wrapping pin receiving aperture in said plug, and a collar formation on the portion of said barrel projecting out of said gear for engagement by a machine element to impart longitudinal movement to said barrel relative to said gear, the recess in said closure plug having a depth and the recess engaging formation on said barrel having a length such that said wrapping pin is retractible to a position at which its outer end is substantially flush with the outer end surface of said plug without moving said barrel formation out of said recess.

3. A forming head for a barbed wire manufacturing machine comprising a tubular gear adapted to be journaled in machine carried bearings and driven by the associated machine, a tubular barrel mounted in said gear for sliding longitudinal movement, a closure plug on one end of said gear having a connection for drivingly connecting the adjacent end of said barrel to the rotation of said gear, said barrel having a coaxial bore and registering with a centrally disposed aperture formed in said plug, collar means on the other end of said barrel for engagement by a machine element to impart longitudinal movement to said barrel relative to said gear, and at least one wrapping pin carried by said barrel and projecting longitudinally from the end of said barrel adjacent said closure plug through a hole formed in said plug.

4. A forming head for a barbed wire manufacturing machine comprising a tubular gear adapted to be journaled in machine carried bearings and driven by the associated machine, a tubular barrel mounted in said gear for sliding longitudinal movement, a closure plug on one end of said gear having a connection for drivingly connecting the adjacent end of said barrel to the rotation of said gear, said barrel having a 20 coaxial bore and registering with a centrally disposed aperture formed in said plug, collar means on the other end of said barrel for engagement by a machine element to impart longitudinal movement to said barrel relative to said gear, and at least one wrapping pin carried by said barrel and projecting longitudinally from the end of said barrel adjacent said closure plug through a hole formed in said plug, said wrapping pin comprising a body of hard metal alloy.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 519,633 Kilmer May 8, 1894 704,710 Shellaberger Oct. 14, 1902 711,303 Frederick July 15, 1902 902,152 Kilmer Oct. 27, 1908 972,657 Smith Oct. 11, 1910 

